UnionFAQs

What's a Game Worker?

You may notice us using terms like "employee" and "worker" in this zine when
we're not speaking about a specific trade (like "programmer" or "artist"). Why
not just "game dev"? Isn't that simpler?

When we talk about game workers, we're referring to anyone involved with the
production of a game. Programmers, artists, designers, musicians? Yep. Voice
and mocap actors, audio engineers? Definitely. Community managers? Of course.
But we're also talking about workers whom players may not instantly associate
with production. What about factory workers who manufacture the consoles that
games are played on? And workers mining the
coltan
used in those consoles? How about the people working to prepare food at the
cafeteria on the company campus? Even if it may be less obvious, these workers
are all essential to the production of games. They're game workers too.

If you're in the industry but currently unemployed, you're also a game
worker. The same goes for students and interns. In an industry where so much
labour is erased or goes unrecognized, it's important that we stick together and
resist bosses' efforts to divide and conquer.